The present invention relates to collapsible support structures and more particularly to a collapsible pinata hoist to eliminate the need for finding a large tree or other pinata rope support structure when it is desired to have a pinata at a gathering such as a birthday party or other celebration; the collapsible pinata hoist including a V-shaped base assembly, a vertical support pole assembly, a horizontal support pole and pulley assembly, two brace members each having an element locking pin receiving aperture at both ends thereof, a number of element locking pins and a flexible pinata pulling tether member that is threaded through the pulley assemblies and one end attached to a pinata and the other end pulled on by the person lifting and lowering the pinata while a person is trying to break the pinata open with a stick.
Many individuals enjoy having a pinata at celebrations such as birthday parties. The pinata is traditionally supported by a rope or the like which is slung over a tree limb or some other high support structure and then manipulated by a handler who pulls on the free end of the rope to make hitting the pinata harder. Although in many areas it is easy to find an elevated support for the pinata rope, many new subdivisions and the like have few if any trees large enough to perform this function. It would be desirable, therefore, to have a collapsible pinata hoist that could be disassembled for transport and storage and which could be rapidly put together to provide a support for the pinata rope.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a collapsible pinata hoist that includes a V-shaped base assembly, a vertical support pole assembly, a horizontal support pole and pulley assembly, two brace members each having an element locking pin receiving aperture at both ends thereof, a number of element locking pins and a flexible pinata pulling tether member; the V-shaped base assembly including two rigid base bracket bars and a rigid vertical support pole connecting plate having a pair of spaced element locking pin receiving apertures provided therethrough; each of the two rigid base bracket bars having a bracket connecting end in rigid connection with the bracket connecting end of the other rigid base bracket bar to form a juncture portion to which the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate is rigidly attached such that the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate extends upward perpendicularly from a geometric plane defined by the two rigid bracket bars, a weight container attachment end to which a container member having a user fillable weight material receiving cavity is attached, and a brace member attachment tab extending upward from a middle portion thereof and through which an element locking pin receiving aperture is provided; the two rigid base bracket bars being oriented with respect to each other at an angle of between 120 and 60 degrees; the vertical support pole assembly including an elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar having a bottom connecting plate portion, a brace member connecting element locking pin receiving aperture, a horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture, a rigid stabilizer block, and a cable support bolt; the bottom connecting plate portion being provided with two spaced element locking pin receiving apertures provided therethrough that are spaced to companionately align with the pair of spaced element locking pin receiving apertures of the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate such that the bottom connecting plate portion of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar is rigidly securable to the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate of the V-shaped base assembly by inserting two element locking pins through the aligned element locking pin receiving apertures of the bottom connecting plate portion and the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate; the brace member element locking pin aperture being provided through a bottom-third portion of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar at a location such that each of the two brace members is attachable between the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar and a respective one of the brace member attachment tabs by positioning and aligning the respective element locking pin receiving apertures it and inserting therethrough an element locking pin; the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture being provided through an upper-third portion of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar; the rigid stabilizer block being rigidly attached to the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar a fixed distance from an opening of the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture; the cable support bolt extending outwardly from a top end of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar; the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly including a horizontal support pole member, a support pole member tension support element, and two pulley assemblies; the horizontal support pole member having a pinata support end with a pulley assembly connected thereto, a pinata puller end with a pulley assembly connected thereto, and a flat vertical support bar connecting portion positioned between the pinata support end and the pinata puller end; the flat vertical support bar connecting portion being provided with an element locking pin receiving aperture therethrough and sized such that, when the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture is aligned with the element locking pin receiving aperture of the flat vertical support bar connecting portion and an element locking pin inserted therethrough, the rigid stabilizer block prevents rotation of the horizontal support pole it member with respect to the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar; the support pole tension support element having a first end connected to the pinata support end of the horizontal support pole member and a second end connected to the pinata puller end of the horizontal support pole member; the length of the support pole member tension support element being selected such that a portion of the support pole member tension support element is supported on the cable support bolt extending outwardly from the top end of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar such that the support pole member tension support element provides tensional support to the pinata support end of the horizontal support pole member and the pinata puller end of the horizontal support pole member when the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture is aligned with the element locking pin receiving aperture of the flat vertical support bar connecting portion and an element locking pin inserted therethrough; the pinata pulling tether member being threaded through the two pulley assemblies.
Accordingly, a collapsible pinata hoist is provided. The collapsible pinata hoist includes a V-shaped base assembly, a vertical support pole assembly, a horizontal support pole and pulley assembly, two brace members each having an element locking pin receiving aperture at both ends thereof, a number of element locking pins and a flexible pinata pulling tether member; the V-shaped base assembly including two rigid base bracket bars and a rigid vertical support pole connecting plate having a pair of spaced element locking pin receiving apertures provided therethrough; each of the two rigid base bracket bars having a bracket connecting end in rigid connection with the bracket connecting end of the other rigid base bracket bar to form a juncture portion to which the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate is rigidly attached such that the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate extends upward perpendicularly from a geometric plane defined by the two rigid bracket bars, a weight container attachment end to which a container member having a user fillable weight material receiving cavity is attached, and a brace member attachment tab extending upward from a middle portion thereof and through which an element locking pin receiving aperture is provided; the two rigid base bracket bars being oriented with respect to each other at an angle of between 120 and 60 degrees; the vertical support pole assembly including an elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar having a bottom connecting plate portion, a brace member connecting element locking pin receiving aperture, a horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element a locking pin receiving aperture, a rigid stabilizer block, and a cable support bolt; the bottom connecting plate portion being provided with two spaced element locking pin receiving apertures provided therethrough that are spaced to companionately align with the pair of spaced element locking pin receiving apertures of the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate such that the bottom connecting plate portion of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar is rigidly securable to the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate of the V-shaped base assembly by inserting two element locking pins through the aligned element locking pin receiving apertures of the bottom connecting plate portion and the rigid vertical support pole connecting plate; the brace member element locking pin aperture being provided through a bottom-third portion of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar at a location such that each of the two brace members is attachable between the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar and a respective one of the brace member attachment tabs by positioning and aligning the respective element locking pin receiving apertures and inserting therethrough an element locking pin; the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture being provided through an upper-third portion of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar; the rigid stabilizer block being rigidly attached to the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar a fixed distance from an opening of the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture; the cable support bolt extending outwardly from a top end of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar; the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly including a horizontal support pole member, a support pole member tension support element, and two pulley assemblies; the horizontal support pole member having a pinata support end with a pulley assembly connected thereto, a pinata puller end with a pulley assembly connected thereto, and a flat vertical support bar connecting portion positioned between the pinata support end and the pinata puller end; the flat vertical support bar connecting portion being provided with an element locking pin receiving aperture therethrough and sized such that, when the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture is aligned with the element locking pin receiving aperture of the flat vertical support bar connecting portion and an element locking pin inserted therethrough, the rigid stabilizer block prevents rotation of the horizontal support pole member with respect to the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar; the support pole tension support element having a first end connected to the pinata support end of the horizontal support pole member and a second end connected to the pinata puller end of the horizontal support pole member; the length of the support pole member tension support element being selected such that a portion of the support pole member tension support element is supported on the cable support bolt extending outwardly from the top end of the elongated, flat, rigid vertical support bar such that the support pole member tension support element provides tensional support to the pinata support end of the horizontal support pole member and the pinata puller end of the horizontal support pole member when the horizontal support pole and pulley assembly element locking pin receiving aperture is aligned with the element locking pin receiving aperture of the flat vertical support bar connecting portion and an element locking pin inserted therethrough; the pinata pulling tether member being threaded through the two pulley assemblies.